The End of Bullying Starts with You #bullying

Unite to fight bullying! October is the National Bullying Awareness month.

The time to take action is now! Everyone has a voice in raising awareness of bullying. Whether you are a student, educator, or parent, here are important points to know and emphasize when you speak in front of a group, lead a class discussion, or talk with peers:

Raise Awareness – All schools, organizations, and communities are invited to partner with PACER on this important issue. Partners will be listed on PACER’s bullying prevention website and can promote the project’s resources on social media channels and in other ways.

Educate Others – PACER offers free web-based resources that can be used by schools, parents, and students to promote bullying prevention. Activities include interactive websites, classroom toolkits, letter-writing campaigns, contests, live events, and much more!
Inspire Action – PACER offers free toolkits for student-led activities and downloadable posters and other visual displays, as well as bookmarks and other promotional items. Everyone is encouraged to sign the online “The End of Bullying Begins with Me” petition.

More than 160,000 U.S. students stay home from school each day from fear of being bullied.

Bullying directly affects a student’s ability to learn. Students who are bullied find it difficult to concentrate, show a decline in grades, and lose self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-worth.

Students who are bullied report more physical symptoms, such as headaches or stomachaches, and mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, than other students.

In some cases, bullying has led to devastating consequences, such as school shootings and suicide.

Bullying affects witnesses as well as targets. Witnesses often report feeling unsafe, helpless, and afraid that they will be the next target.

Bullying is a communitywide issue that must no longer be ignored or thought of as a rite of passage. Students, parents, and educators all have a role in addressing bullying situations and changing school culture.

The two keys to creating change are: increasing awareness that bullying has lifelong impact, and giving people the tools they need to respond effectively.
Students can be especially effective in bullying intervention. More than 55 percent of bullying situations will stop when a peer intervenes. Student education of how to address bullying for peers is critical, as is the support of adults.

Silence is no longer an acceptable response to bullying. Adults, students, and educators can no longer look away when they see bullying. Ignoring it won’t work. Everyone needs to be empowered with options to respond.